Can opener



- Nw. 6, w23. i Mmm? C. W. ERVIN CAN OPENER Filed Feb. 25 1922 CHARLESW; Env/N,

By'.- www.,

y.' N VENTOR:

Patented Nov. 6, i923.

hawaii??? CHAELESW. ERVIN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA,

' can OPENER.

Application led February 23, Serial No. 538,598.

provide a device that will automatically move along the edge of a canwhen applied and operated.

Another object is to provide a device with handles similar to thehandles of pliers, pincers, or shears, to be operated in a planeparallel to the top oi a can on which the device is to be used, having acutting member to cut and project through the top of the can.

Another object is to provide a cutting member in one arm orn the deviceand a gripping member in the other arm of the device, so that thecutting member will be drawn towards the gripping member by a closing ofthe device. Y

Another object is to provide means for automatically opening the deviceand thereby advancing the gripping arm ahead of the cutting arm.

Other'objects will appear from the following description and appendedclaims as well as from the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is atop plan View of the device, a

portion of the circular top edge of a can being indicated in dottedlines to illustrate the relative position of the device when applied toa can.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. a' is a fragmentary top plan view of a slightly modified `form ofthe device, one end of the spring being directly connected to thegripping arm ontl the device, to produce a more positive disengagementfor forwarding the gripping member ahead of the cutting member.

In Fig. 1, the cutting means are provided on the handle 5, and thegripping means are provided on the handle 6. The member, indicated at 7,may broadly be termed the common pivot for the handles 5 and 6. All

parts on one side of the pivot 7, embodying the handle 5, may hereafterbe called the cutting arm. All partsion the othery side of the pivot 7,embodying the handle 6, may hereafter be called the gripping arm. Aspring 8 is inserted between the two arms, soV that the one end9 of thespring engages with the cutting arm and the end 10 of' the springengages with the gripping arm, for normally holding the two arms apart.A cutting blade 1l is provided on the underside of the cutting arm 5.@paced trom cutting blade 111 also on the underside of the cutting arm5, a guiding shoulder-member 12 is providedso as to normally projectoverthe outside ci a can, for guiding the cutting blade 11 in cutting alongthe edge of the can.

The top of a can is indicated at 13 in Fig. 2, showing the cutting blade11 punched through the top. rllhe edges of the tops of cans are normallyrolled over the sides 14;, as indicated at 15. rlhe shoulder member '12can then easily slide along the outside of the can so as to guide thecutting blade 11 at an even distance from .the edge along the edge ofthe can.

The cutting blade may be spaced more or less from the shoulder member12, to make this device applicable to diiierently constructed cans andto satisfy different requirements and desires of the users. In spacingthe cutting blade as little as possible from the shoulder member 12, theout edge can be practically rolled towards the inner surface of the side14, as indicated at 16, so as to avoid the rough edges in the openingsof opened cans and thereby make injury practically impossible, which isotherwise of such common occurrence wit-h opened cans.

The gripping arm is preferably made in sections, pivotallyinterconnecting, as at 17. A shoulder member 18 is provided on the baseportion 19 of the gripping arm, normally to engage the rim of a canalong the inner circle, see 1, and as' also illustrated in detail insection in 3. The handle portion 6 of the gripping arm is provided withan extension end 20 beyond the pivot 17, for engaging the rim of a canfrom the outside opposite the shoulder memy ber 18.

Moving or swinging the handle portion 6 of the gripping arm around thepivot 17 in the direction towards the other handle 5,

Y fthe extension end 2OVv moves towards the edge of the cam, whenso'applied. Pressing vthe handles further in the'V direction towardseach other, the Vgripping arm becoming Vlocked to the edge or rim of thecan as soon as the extension end 2O touches Athe' rim, the cutting armis Vc-'iiiipelled to- Y movev towards the gripping arm, thereby 1Acausingthe cutting blade to cut -through the io,

top oi. the can4 along the rim as guided Vby the shoulder member-12 onthe cutting arm.

' lflaviiig the lhandles pressed towards each other, on'releasing thehandles, the cutting farm beingheld in` its position byreason of itscutting blade sticking or vbinding in the cut madeY by itin the top. ofthev cam-the (spring, 8 causes the gripping varm to swing V VVawayYJfrom the cutting arinj thereby ad- Y ation ofi cuttingr and pressingthe handlesV towards each other is repeated; .The s'pring's'erving foradvancing the devancing along the` rim of thecan.

0n again touching the handles the opervice along the rimoi a can, thedevice works itselfaround therrimoi' a canvby the mere repeating oi' thepressing oi the handles. llt

is not knecessarycto move the can. The device holds 'itself to the can'and moves the Vcanjaccording to the movements made by ythe cutting.blade and the advancingo the gripping arm after each cut. The can may beplaced on the table or on a suitable sui-- V 6, Vasfindicated at 22.1

Jfaceso that, the device can be applied.

in Figa, the. Siigiiuy 'modified form ii! I Hlustrates the one end 21 ofthe spring 8 ex-.

tended to engage directly with the handle rllhe arrangement serves todisengage vthe extension end 2O more readily than unde the arrangementof Fig. 1. Y

In Fig.v 1, the spring acts on tlierarins close to the main. pivot 7. Aslight pressing on lunder the arrangement in Fig. 1, are under no directinfluence of the spring, and there-v f tore are not liable to tree theriin o'lfa can so well as under the arrangement of Fig. Ll. A .stop 23is provided `for the handle 6 to limit the lmovement of the lever, andespecially the extension end 20, so that the ex* tensionend ismaintainedin ay position to be moved quickly into engaging position.

Having thus described lmy invention, Iclaimzf rf 1. In a can opener, acutting arm anda gripping arm pivotally connectedat one of their endsyaspring inserted between the twofarms for normally holding the Varmsspaced, cutting Vmeans on ,the underside of the cutting'arm spaced fromthe pivot con! nection, and gripping Ymeans' on the underpivotconnection and` disposed so" that an cof :side of thefgripping armspacedilromtlie Y engagement of the gripping arm on the edge of a can mayserve Vto allow a'drawingV ot the cutting means Aon Ythe cutting'armyinV the directionA towards the grippingv` arm through the` top of thecan along thesame edge of the can.V l

2. Ina canfopener, a cutting arm and a Y gripping arm having pivotconnection, the cutting arm shaving cutting means projecting towards oneside-spaced from the point of theV pivot connection, lthe gripping armVbeing' made in sections 'having pivot intercon- Y Y nection, a shouldermember on one section of- V.the gripping arm at a point spaced from thecommon pivot connection between the first-k namedtwo arms to Vnearly thesame extent as the spacing between the cutting means on the cutting armandthe pivotV connec-i tion on the cuttingarin,an extension end on thesecond section of the gripping arm protowards the cutting arm so as.toforin a Vjecting sidewise from the pivot connection within thegrippingfarm in thevdirection` cam-like member to co-act withthefshoulder. member for drawingthercutting `arm towards the grippingarm. l

Bgln a canropener,;a cutting arm hav.

ing cutting means on its underside, a' grip- T ping armv Vmade insections, oneo the sections Vbeing pivotally connected. to thefcutp tingarm, the second ofsaid sections lbeing pivotally connected to theiirst-named section forming cam-like engagingv means between the twosections, and a spring inserted between the arms for normallyflioldingthe arms spaced with theV cuttingV means `pointing inthe direction oithe camlike engaging Vmeans and adapted to advance .the

ioo

gripping arm ahead ofthe cutting means Y Y after each .contraction ofthe arms.

Y lntestimony that Iclaim the vforegoing as my invention l have signedmy name in the presence' of two subscribing witnesses.

f ici-iARLiis wgniavni. Witnesses: Vl Y OH.Kizuneiin dessin A. NLiNocK.`

